Dick Sands, The Boy Captain By Jules Verne, Ellen E. Frewer pot

Dick Sands, the Boy Captain Jules Verne Translated by Ellen E Frewer DICK SANDS THE BOY CAPTAIN BY JULES VERNE TRANSLATED BY ELLEN E FREWER 1879 CONTENTS I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII PART THE FIRST THE “PILGRIM” THE APPRENTICE A RESCUE THE SURVIVORS OF THE “WALDECK” DINGO’S SAGACITY A WHALE IN SIGHT PREPARATIONS FOR AN ATTACK A CATASTROPHE DICK’S PROMOTION THE NEW CREW ROUGH WEATHER LAND AT LAST ASHORE A STRANGER THROUGH THE FOREST MISGIVINGS A TERRIBLE DISCOVERY I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX PART THE SECOND THE DARK CONTINENT ACCOMPLICES ON THE MARCH AGAIN ROUGH TRAVELLING WHITE ANTS A DIVING-BELL A SLAVE CARAVAN NOTES BY THE WAY KAZONDÉ MARKET-DAY A BOWL OF PUNCH ROYAL OBSEQUIES IN CAPTIVITY A RAY OF HOPE AN EXCITING CHASE A MAGICIAN DRIFTING DOWN THE STREAM AN ANXIOUS VOYAGE AN ATTACK A HAPPY REUNION Dick Sands, the Boy Captain CHAPTER I THE “PILGRIM.” On the 2nd of February, 1873, the “Pilgrim,” a tight little craft of 400 tons burden, lay in lat 43° 57’, S and long 165° 19’, W She was a schooner, the property of James W Weldon, a wealthy Californian ship-owner who had fitted her out at San Francisco, expressly for the whale-fisheries in the southern seas James Weldon was accustomed every season to send his whalers both to the Arctic regions beyond Behring Straits, and to the Antarctic Ocean below Tasmania and Cape Horn; and the “Pilgrim,” although one of the smallest, was one of the best-going vessels of its class; her sailing-powers were splendid, and her rigging was so adroitly adapted that with a very small crew she might venture without risk within sight of the impenetrable ice-fields of the southern hemisphere: under skilful guidance she could dauntlessly thread her way amongst the drifting ice-bergs that, lessened though they were by perpetual shocks and undermined by warm currents, made their way northwards as far as the parallel of New Zealand or the Cape of Good Hope, to a latitude corresponding to which in the northern hemisphere they are never seen, having already melted away in the depths of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans For several years the command of the “Pilgrim” had been entrusted to Captain Hull, an experienced seaman, and one of the most dexterous harpooners in Weldon’s service The crew consisted of five sailors and an apprentice This number, of course, was quite insufficient for the process of whale-fishing, which requires a large contingent both for manning the whale-boats and for cutting up the whales after they are captured; but Weldon, following the example of other owners, found it more economical to embark at San Francisco only just enough men to work the ship to New Zealand, where, from the promiscuous gathering of seamen of well-nigh every nationality, and of needy emigrants, the captain had no difficulty in engaging as many whalemen as he wanted for the season This method of hiring men who could be at once discharged when their services were no longer required had proved altogether to be the most profitable and convenient Dick Sands, the Boy Captain The “Pilgrim” had now just completed her annual voyage to the Antarctic circle It was not, however, with her proper quota of oilbarrels full to the brim, nor yet with an ample cargo of cut and uncut whalebone, that she was thus far on her way back The time, indeed, for a good haul was past; the repeated and vigourous attacks upon the cetaceans had made them very scarce; the whale known as “the Right whale,” the “Nord-kapper” of the northern fisheries, the “Sulpher-boltone” of the southern, was hardly ever to be seen; and latterly the whalers had had no alternative but to direct their efforts against the Finback or Jubarte, a gigantic mammal, encounter with which is always attended with considerable danger So scanty this year had been the supply of whales that Captain Hull had resolved next year to push his way into far more southern latitudes; even, if necessary, to advance to the regions known as Clarie and Adélie Lands, of which the discovery, though claimed by the American navigator Wilkes, belongs by right to the illustrious Frenchman Dumont d’Urville, the commander of the “Astrolabe” and the “Zélee.” The season had been exceptionally unfortunate for the “Pilgrim.” At the beginning of January, almost in the height of the southern summer, long before the ordinary time for the whalers’ return, Captain Hull had been obliged to abandon his fishing-quarters His hired contingent, all men of more than doubtful character, had given signs of such insubordination as threatened to end in mutiny; and he had become aware that he must part company with them on the earliest possible opportunity Accordingly, without delay, the bow of the “Pilgrim” was directed to the northwest, towards New Zealand, which was sighted on the 15th of January, and on reaching Waitemata, the port of Auckland, in the Hauraki Gulf, on the east coast of North Island, the whole of the gang was peremptorily discharged The ship’s crew were more than dissatisfied They were angry Never before had they returned with so meagre a haul They ought to have had at least two hundred barrels more The captain himself experienced all the mortification of an ardent sportsman who for the first time in his life brings home a half-empty bag; and there was a general spirit of animosity against the rascals whose rebellion had so entirely marred the success of the expedition Dick Sands, the Boy Captain Captain Hull did everything in his power to repair the disappointment; he made every effort to engage a fresh gang; but it was too late; every available seaman had long since been carried off to the fisheries Finding therefore that all hope of making good the deficiency in his cargo must be resigned, he was on the point of leaving Auckland, alone with his crew, when he was met by a request with which he felt himself bound to comply It had chanced that James Weldon, on one of those journeys which were necessitated by the nature of his business, had brought with him his wife, his son Jack, a child of five years of age, and a relation of the family who was generally known by the name of Cousin Benedict Weldon had of course intended that his family should accompany him on his return home to San Francisco; but little Jack was taken so seriously ill, that his father, whose affairs demanded his immediate return, was obliged to leave him behind at Auckland with his wife and Cousin Benedict Three months had passed away, little Jack was convalescent, and Mrs Weldon, weary of her long separation from her husband, was anxious to get home as soon as possible Her readiest way of reaching San Francisco was to cross to Australia, and thence to take a passage in one of the vessels of the “Golden Age” Company, which run between Melbourne and the Isthmus of Panama: on arriving in Panama she would have to wait the departure of the next American steamer of the line which maintains a regular communication between the Isthmus and California This route, however, involved many stoppages and changes, such as are always disagreeable and inconvenient for women and children, and Mrs Weldon was hesitating whether she should encounter the journey, when she heard that her husband’s vessel, the “Pilgrim,” had arrived at Auckland Hastening to Captain Hull, she begged him to take her with her little boy, Cousin Benedict, and Nan, an old negress who had been her attendant from her childhood, on board the “Pilgrim,” and to convey them to San Francisco direct “Was it not over hazardous,” asked the captain, “to venture upon a voyage of between 5000 and 6000 miles in so small a sailing-vessel?” But Mrs Weldon urged her request, and Captain Hull, confident in the sea-going qualities of his craft, and anticipating at this season nothing but fair weather on either side of the equator, gave his consent Dick Sands, the Boy Captain In order to provide as far as possible for the comfort of the lady during a voyage that must occupy from forty to fifty days, the captain placed his own cabin at her entire disposal Everything promised well for a prosperous voyage The only hindrance that could be foreseen arose from the circumstance that the “Pilgrim” would have to put in at Valparaiso for the purpose of unlading; but that business once accomplished, she would continue her way along the American coast with the assistance of the land breezes, which ordinarily make the proximity of those shores such agreeable quarters for sailing Mrs Weldon herself had accompanied her husband in so many voyages, that she was quite inured to all the makeshifts of a seafaring life, and was conscious of no misgiving in embarking upon a vessel of such small tonnage She was a brave, high-spirited woman of about thirty years of age, in the enjoyment of excellent health, and for her the sea had no terrors Aware that Captain Hull was an experienced man, in whom her husband had the utmost confidence, and knowing that his ship was a substantial craft, registered as one of the best of the American whalers, so far from entertaining any mistrust as to her safety, she only rejoiced in the opportuneness of the chance which seemed to offer her a direct and unbroken route to her destination Cousin Benedict, as a matter of course, was to accompany her He was about fifty; but in spite of his mature age it would have been considered the height of imprudence to allow him to travel anywhere alone Spare, lanky, with a bony frame, with an enormous cranium, and a profusion of hair, he was one of those amiable, inoffensive savants who, having once taken to gold spectacles, appear to have arrived at a settled standard of age, and, however long they live afterwards, seem never to be older than they have ever been Claiming a sort of kindredship with all the world, he was universally known, far beyond the pale of his own connexions, by the name of “Cousin Benedict.” In the ordinary concerns of life nothing would ever have rendered him capable of shifting for himself; of his meals he would never think until they were placed before him; he had the appearance of being utterly insensible to heat or cold; he vegetated rather than lived, and might not inaptly be compared to a tree which, though healthy enough at its core, produces scant foliage and no fruit His long arms and legs were in the way of himself and Dick Sands, the Boy Captain got detached One of the negroes raised a sudden shout of alarm, and it seemed only too probable that he had caught a sight of the travellers below and was informing his companions This apprehension, too, was only momentary; the current had changed almost to a rapid, and carried the canoe along with such velocity that the lacustrine village was quickly out of sight “Steer to the left!” cried Dick, finding that the riverbed had again become clear A stiff pull at the tiller made the craft fly in that direction Dick went to the stern, and scanned the moonlit waters All was perfectly still, no canoe was in pursuit; perhaps the natives had not one to use; but certain it was that when daylight dawned no vestige of an inhabitant was to be seen Nevertheless Dick thought it prudent for a while to steer close under the shelter of the left-hand shore By the end of the next four days the aspect of the country had undergone a remarkable change, the jungle having given place to a desert as dreary as the Kalahari itself The river appeared interminable, and it became a matter of serious consideration how to get a sufficiency of food Fish was scarce, or at least hard to catch, and the arid soil provided no means of sustenance for antelopes, so that nothing was to be gained from the chase Carnivorous animals also had quite disappeared, and the silence of the night was broken, not by the roar of wild beasts, but by the croaking of frogs in a discordant chorus, which Cameron has compared to the clanking of hammers and the grating of files in a ship-builder’s yard Far away both to the east and west the outlines of hills could be faintly discerned, but the shores on either hand were perfectly flat and devoid of trees Euphorbias, it is true, grew in considerable numbers, but as they were only of the oil-producing species, and not the kind from which cassava or manioc is procured, they were useless in an alimentary point of view Dick was becoming more and more perplexed, when Hercules happened to mention that the natives often eat young fern-fronds and the pith of the papyrus, and that before now he had himself been reduced to the necessity of subsisting on nothing better 283 Dick Sands, the Boy Captain “We must try them,” said Dick Both ferns and papyrus abounded on the banks, and a meal was prepared, the sweet soft pith of the papyrus being found very palatable Jack in particular appeared to enjoy it extremely, but it was not in any way a satisfying diet Thanks to Cousin Benedict, a fresh variety in the matter of food was found on the following day Since the discovery of the “Hexapodes Benedictus” he had recovered his spirits, and, having fastened his prize safely inside his hat, he wandered about, as often as he had a chance, in his favourite pursuit of insect-hunting As he was rummaging in the long grass, he put up a bird which flew but a very short distance Benedict recognized it by its peculiar note, and, seeing Dick take his gun to aim at it, exclaimed,— “Don’t fire, don’t fire! that bird will be worth nothing for food among five of us.” “It will be dinner enough for Jack,” said Dick, who, finding that the bird did not seem in a hurry to make its escape, delayed his shot for a moment, without intending to be diverted from his purpose of securing it “You mustn’t fire,” insisted Benedict, “it is an indicator; it will show you where there are lots of honey.” Aware that a few pounds of honey would really be of more value than a little bird, Dick lowered his gun, and in company with the entomologist set off to follow the indicator, which seemed, by alternately flying and stopping, to be inviting them to come on, and they had but a little way to go before they observed several swarms of bees buzzing around some old stems hidden amongst the euphorbias Notwithstanding Benedict’s remonstrances against depriving the bees of the fruits of their industry, Dick instantly set to work, and without remorse suffocated them by burning dry grass underneath Having secured a good amount of honey, he left the comb to the indicator as its share of the booty, and went back with his companion to the canoe The honey was acceptable, but it did not much to alleviate the cravings of hunger 284 Dick Sands, the Boy Captain Next day it happened that they had just stopped for their accustomed rest, when they observed that an enormous swarm of grasshoppers had settled at the mouth of a creek close by Two or three deep they covered the soil, myriads and myriads of them adhering to every shrub “The natives eat those grasshoppers,” said Benedict, “and like them too.” The remark produced an instant effect; all hands were busied in collecting them, and a large supply was quickly gathered: the canoe might have been filled ten times over Grilled over a slow fire, they were found to be very palatable eating, and, spite of his qualms of conscience, Benedict himself made a hearty meal But although the gnawings of absolute hunger were thus assuaged, all the travellers began to long most anxiously for the voyage to come to an end The mode of transit indeed might be less exhausting to the bodily powers than a land march would have been, but the excessive heat by day, the damp mists at night, and the incessant attacks of mosquitoes, all combined to render the passage extremely trying There was no telling how long it would last, and Dick was equally uncertain whether it might end in a few days, or be protracted for a month The direction which the stream was taking was itself a subject of perplexity A fresh surprise was now in store As Jack, a few mornings afterwards, was standing at the bow peering through an aperture in the grass canopy above him, he suddenly turned round and cried,— “The sea! the sea!” Dick started forwards, and looked eagerly in the same direction A large expanse of water was visible in the horizon, but after having surveyed it for a moment or two, he said,— 285 Dick Sands, the Boy Captain “No, Jack, it is not the sea, it is a great river; it is running west, and I suppose this river runs into it Perhaps it is the Zaire.” “Let us hope it is,” said Mrs Weldon earnestly Most cordially did Dick Sands re-echo her words, being well aware that at the mouth of that river were Portuguese villages, where a refuge might assuredly be found For several succeeding days the canoe, still concealed by its covering, floated on the silvery surface of this new-found stream On either side the banks became less arid, and there seemed everything to encourage the few survivors of the “Pilgrim” to believe that they would soon see the last of the perils and toils of their journey They were too sanguine Towards three o’clock on the morning of the 18th, Dick, who was at his usual post at the bow, fancied he heard a dull rumbling towards the west Mrs Weldon, Jack, and Benedict were all asleep Calling Hercules to him, he asked him whether he could not hear a strange noise The night was perfectly calm, and not a breath of air was stirring The negro listened attentively, and suddenly, his eyes sparkling with delight, exclaimed,— “Yes, captain, I hear the sea!” Dick shook his head and answered,— “It is not the sea, Hercules.” “Not the sea!” cried the negro, “then what can it be?” “We must wait till daybreak,” replied Dick, “and meanwhile we shall have to keep a sharp look-out.” Hercules returned to his place, but only to continue listening with ever-increasing curiosity The rumbling perceptibly increased till it became a continued roar With scarcely any intervening twilight night passed into day Just in front, scarcely more than half a mile ahead, a great mist was hanging 286 Dick Sands, the Boy Captain over the river; it was not an ordinary fog, and when the sun rose, the light of the dawn caused a brilliant rainbow to arch itself from shore to shore In a voice so loud that it awoke Mrs Weldon, Dick gave his order to Hercules to steer for the bank:— “Quick, quick, Hercules! ashore! ashore! there are cataracts close ahead!” And so it was Within little more than a quarter of a mile the bed of the river sank abruptly some hundred feet, and the foaming waters rushed down in a magnificent fall with irresistible velocity A few minutes more and the canoe must have been swallowed in the deep abyss 287 Dick Sands, the Boy Captain CHAPTER XIX AN ATTACK The canoe inclined to the west readily enough; the fall in the riverbed was so sudden that the current remained quite unaffected by the cataract at a distance of three hundred yards On the bank were woods so dense that sunlight could not penetrate the shade Dick was conscious of a sad misgiving when he looked at the character of the territory through which they must necessarily pass It did not seem practicable by any means to convey the canoe below the falls As they neared the shore, Dingo became intensely agitated At first Dick suspected that a wild beast or a native might be lurking in the papyrus, but it soon became obvious that the dog was excited by grief rather than by rage “Dingo is crying,” said Jack; “poor Dingo!” and the child laid his arms over the creature’s neck The dog, however, was too impatient to be caressed; bounding away, he sprang into the water, swam across the twenty feet that intervened between the shore, and disappeared in the grass In a few moments the boat had glided on to a carpet of confervas and other aquatic plants, starting a few kingfishers and some snow-white herons Hercules moored it to the stump of a tree, and the travellers went ashore There was no pathway through the forest, only the trampled moss showed that the place had been recently visited either by animals or men Dick took his gun and Hercules his hatchet, and they set out to search for Dingo They had not far to go before they saw him with his nose close to the ground, manifestly following a scent; the animal raised his head for a moment, as if beckoning them to follow, and kept on till he reached an old sycamore-stump Having called out to the rest of the party to join them, Dick made his way farther into the 288 Dick Sands, the Boy Captain wood till he got up to Dingo, who was whining piteously at the entrance of a dilapidated hut The rest were not long in following, and they all entered the hut together The floor was strewn with bones whitened by exposure “Some one has died here,” said Mrs Weldon “Perhaps,” added Dick, as if struck by a sudden thought, “it was Dingo’s old master Look at him! he is pointing with his paw.” The portion of the sycamore-trunk which formed the farther side of the hut had been stripped of its bark, and upon the smooth wood were two great letters in dingy red almost effaced by time, but yet plain enough to be distinguished “S V.,” cried Dick, as he looked where the dog’s paw rested; “the same initials that Dingo has upon his collar There can be no mistake S V.” A small copper box, green with verdigris, caught his eye, and he picked it up It was open, but contained a scrap of discoloured paper The writing upon this consisted of a few sentences, of which only detached words could be made out, but they revealed the sad truth only too plainly “Robbed by Negoro—murdered—Dingo—help—Negoro guide—l20 miles from coast—December 3rd, l871—write no more “S VERNON.” Here was the clue to a melancholy story Samuel Vernon, under the guidance of Negoro, and taking with him his dog Dingo, had set out on an exploration of a district of Central Africa; he had taken a considerable quantity of money to procure the necessary supplies on the way, and this had excited the cupidity of his guide, who seized the opportunity, whilst they were encamping on the banks of the Congo, to assassinate his employer, and get possession of his property Negoro, however, had not escaped; he had fallen into the hands of the Portuguese, by whom he was recognized as an agent of the slave-dealer Alvez, and condemned to spend the rest of his days in prison He contrived after a while to make his escape, and, as has 289 Dick Sands, the Boy Captain been already mentioned, found his way to New Zealand, whence he had returned by securing an engagement on board the “Pilgrim.” Between the time when he was attacked by Negoro and the moment of his death, Vernon had managed to write the few brief lines of which the fragments still survived, and to deposit the document in the box from which the money had been stolen, and by a last effort had traced out his initials in blood upon the naked wood which formed the wall of the hut For many days Dingo watched beside his master, and throughout that time his eyes were resting so perpetually upon the two crimson letters in front of him, that mere instinct seemed to fasten them indelibly on his memory Quitting his watch one day, perhaps to pacify his hunger, the dog wandered to the coast, where he was picked up by the captain of the “Waldeck,” afterwards to be transferred to the very ship on which his owner’s murderer had been engaged as cook All throughout this time poor Vernon’s bones had been bleaching in the African forest, and the first resolution of Dick and Mrs Weldon was to give the residue of his remains some semblance of a decent burial They were just proceeding to their task when Dingo gave a furious growl, and dashed out of the hut; another moment, and a terrible shriek made it evident that he was in conflict with some dread antagonist Hercules was quickly in pursuit, and the whole party followed in time to witness the giant hurl himself upon a man with whom already Dingo was in mortal combat The dog was griping the man by the throat, the man was lifting his cutlass high above the head of the dog That man was Negoro The rascal, on getting his letter at Kazonndé, instead of embarking at once for America, had left his native escort for a while, and returned to the scene of his crime to secure the treasure which he had left buried at a little distance in a spot that he had marked At this very moment he was in the act of digging up the gold he had concealed; some glistening coins scattered here and there betrayed his purpose; but in the midst of his labours he had been startled by the dashing forward of a dog; another instant, and the dog had fixed itself upon his throat, whilst he, in an agony of desperation, had drawn his cutlass and plunged it deep into the creature’s side 290 Dick Sands, the Boy Captain Hercules came up at the very climax of the death-struggle “You villain! you accursed villain! I have you now!” he cried, about to seize hold of his victim But vengeance was already accomplished Negoro gave no sign of life; death had overtaken him on the very scene of his guilt Dingo, too, had received a mortal wound; he dragged himself back to the hut, lay down beside the remains of his master, and expired The sad task of burying Vernon’s bones, and laying his faithful dog beside them having been accomplished, the whole party was obliged to turn their thoughts to their own safety Although Negoro was dead, it as very likely that the natives that he had taken with him were at no great distance, and would come to search for him A hurried conference was held as to what steps had best be taken The few words traceable on the paper made them aware that they were on the banks of the Congo, and that they were still 120 miles from the coast The fall just ahead was probably the cataract of Memo, but whatever it was, no doubt it effectually barred their farther progress by water There seemed no alternative but that they should make their way by one bank or the other a mile or two below the waterfall, and there construct a raft on which once again they could drift down the stream The question that pressed for immediate settlement was which bank it should be Here, on the left bank, would be the greater risk of encountering the negro escort of Negoro, while as to the farther shore they could not tell what obstacles it might present Altogether Mrs Weldon advocated trying the other side, but Dick insisted upon crossing first by himself to ascertain whether an advance by that route were really practicable “The river is only about 100 yards wide,” he urged; “I can soon get across I shall leave Hercules to look after you all.” Mrs Weldon demurred for a while, but Dick seemed resolute, and as he promised to take his gun and not to attempt to land if he saw the least symptom of danger, she at last consented, but with so much reluctance that even after he had entered the canoe she said,— 291 Dick Sands, the Boy Captain “I think, Dick, it would be really better for us all to go together.” “No, Mrs Weldon, indeed, no; I am sure it is best for me to go alone; I shall be back in an hour.” “If it must be so, it must,” said the lady “Keep a sharp look-out, Hercules!” cried the youth cheerily, as he pushed off from the land The strength of the current was by no means violent, but quite enough to make the direction of Dick’s course somewhat oblique The roar of the cataract reverberated in his ears, and the spray, wafted by the westerly wind, brushed lightly past his face, and he shuddered as he felt how near they must have been to destruction if he had relaxed his watch throughout the night It took him hardly a quarter of an hour to reach the opposite bank, and he was just preparing to land when there arose a tremendous shout from about a dozen natives, who, rushing forward, began to tear away the canopy of grass with which the canoe was covered Dick’s horror was great It would have been greater still if he had known that they were cannibals They were the natives settled at the lacustrine village higher up the river When the piece of thatch had been knocked off in passing the piles a glimpse had been caught of the passengers below, and aware that the cataract ahead must ultimately bring them to a standstill, the eager barbarians had followed them persistently day by day for the last eight days Now they thought they had secured their prize, but loud was their yell of disappointment when on stripping off the thatch they found only one person, and that a mere boy, standing beneath it Dick stood as calmly as he could at the bow, and pointed his gun towards the savages, who were sufficiently acquainted with the nature of fire-arms to make them afraid to attack him Mrs Weldon with the others, in their eagerness to watch Dick’s movements, had remained standing upon the shore of the river, and at this instant were caught sight of by one of the natives, who pointed them out to his companions A sudden impulse seized the 292 Dick Sands, the Boy Captain whole of them, and they sprang into the canoe; there seemed to be a practised hand amongst them, which caught hold of the rudder-oar, and the little craft was quickly on its way back Although he gave up all as now well-nigh lost, Dick neither moved nor spoke He had one lingering hope yet left Was it not possible even now that by sacrificing his own life he could save the lives of those that were entrusted to him? When the canoe had come near enough to the shore for his voice to be heard, he shouted with all his might,— “Fly, Mrs Weldon; fly, all of you; fly for your lives!” But neither Mrs Weldon nor Hercules stirred; they seemed rooted to the ground “Fly, fly, fly!” he continued shouting But though he knew they must hear him, yet he saw them make no effort to escape He understood their meaning; of what avail was flight when the savages would be upon their track in a few minutes after? A sudden thought crossed his mind He raised his gun and fired at the man who was steering; the bullet shattered the rudder-scull into fragments The cannibals uttered a yell of terror Deprived of guidance, the canoe was at the mercy of the current, and, borne along with increasing speed, was soon within a hundred feet of the cataract The anxious watchers on the bank instantly discerned Dick’s purpose, and understood that in order to save them he had formed the resolution of precipitating himself with the savages into the seething waters Nothing could avail to arrest the swift descent Mrs Weldon in an agony of despair waved her hands in a last sad farewell, Jack and Benedict seemed paralyzed, whilst Hercules involuntarily extended his great strong arm that was powerless to aid 293 Dick Sands, the Boy Captain Suddenly the natives, impelled by a last frantic effort to reach the shore, plunged into the water, but then movement capsized the boat Face to face with death, Dick lost nothing of his indomitable presence of mind Might not that light canoe, floating bottom upwards, be made the means for yet another grasp at life? The danger that threatened him was twofold, there was the risk of suffocation as well as the peril of being drowned; could not the inverted canoe be used for a kind of float at once to keep his head above water and to serve as a screen from the rushing air? He had some faint recollection of how it had been proved possible under some such conditions to descend in safety the falls of Niagara Quick as lightning he seized hold of the cross-bench of the canoe, and with his head out of water beneath the upturned keel, he was dashed down the furious and well-nigh perpendicular fall The craft sank deep into the abyss, but rose quickly again to the surface Here was Dick’s chance, he was a good swimmer, and his life depended now upon his strength of arm It was a hard struggle, but he succeeded In a quarter of an hour he had landed on the left hand bank, where he was greeted with the joyful congratulations of his friends, who had hurried to the foot of the fall to assure themselves of his fate The cannibals had all disappeared in the surging waters Unprotected in their fall, they had doubtless ceased to breathe before reaching the lowest depths of the cataract where their lifeless bodies would soon be dashed to pieces against the sharp rocks that were scattered along the lower course of the stream 294 Dick Sands, the Boy Captain CHAPTER XX A HAPPY REUNION Two days after Dick’s marvellous deliverance the party had the good fortune to fall in with a caravan of honest Portuguese ivory-traders on their way to Emboma, at the mouth of the Congo They rendered the fugitives every assistance, and thus enabled them to reach the coast without further discomfort This meeting with the caravan was a most fortunate occurrence, as any project of launching a raft upon the Zaire would have been quite impracticable, the river between the Ntemo and Yellala Falls being a continuous series of cataracts Stanley counted as many as sixty-two, and it was hereabouts that that brave traveller sustained the last of thirty-one conflicts with the natives, escaping almost by a miracle from the Mbelo cataract Before the middle of August the party arrived at Emboma, where they were hospitably received by M Motta Viega and Mr Harrison A steamer was just on the point of starting for the Isthmus of Panama; in this they took their passage, and in due time set foot once more upon American soil Forthwith a message was despatched to Mr Weldon, apprising him of the return of the wife and child over whose loss he had mourned so long On the 25th the railroad deposited the travellers at San Francisco, the only thing to mar their happiness being the recollection that Tom and his partners were not with them to share their joy Mr Weldon had every reason to congratulate himself that Negoro had failed to reach him No doubt he would have been ready to sacrifice the bulk of his fortune, and without a moment’s hesitation would have set out for the coast of Africa, but who could question that he would there have been exposed to the vilest treachery? He felt that to Dick Sands and to Hercules he owed a debt of gratitude that it would be impossible to repay; Dick assumed more than ever the place of an adopted son, whilst the brave negro was regarded as a true and faithful friend 295 Dick Sands, the Boy Captain Cousin Benedict, it must be owned, failed to share for long the general joy After giving Mr Weldon a hasty shake of the hand, he hurried off to his private room, and resumed his studies almost as if they had never been interrupted He set himself vigorously to work with the design of producing an elaborate treatise upon the “Hexapodes Benedictus” hitherto unknown to entomological research Here in his private chamber spectacles and magnifyingglass were ready for his use, and he was now able for the first time with the aid of proper appliances to examine the unique production of Central Africa A shriek of horror and disappointment escaped his lips The Hexapodes Benedictus was not a hexapod at all It was a common spider Hercules, in catching it, had unfortunately broken off its two front legs, and Benedict, almost blind as he was, had failed to detect the accident His chagrin was most pitiable, the wonderful discovery that was to have exalted his name high in the annals of science belonged simply to the common order of the arachnidæ The blow to his aspirations was very heavy; it brought on a fit of illness from which it took him some time to recover For the next three years Dick was entrusted with the education of little Jack during the intervals he could spare from the prosecution of his own studies, into which he threw himself with an energy quickened by a kind of remorse “If only I had known what a seaman ought to know when I was left to myself on board the ‘Pilgrim,’ “ he would continually say, “what misery and suffering we might have been spared!” So diligently did he apply himself to the technical branches of his profession that at the age of eighteen he received a special certificate of honour, and was at once raised to the rank of a captain in Mr Weldon’s firm Thus by his industry and good conduct did the poor foundling of Sandy Hook rise to a post of distinction In spite of his youth, he commanded universal respect; his native modesty and straightforwardness never failed him, and for his own part, he seemed to be unconscious of those fine traits in his character which had impelled him to deeds that made him little short of a hero 296 Dick Sands, the Boy Captain His leisure moments, however, were often troubled by one source of sadness; he could never forget the four negroes for whose misfortunes he held himself by his own inexperience to be in a way responsible Mrs Weldon thoroughly shared his regret, and would have made many sacrifices to discover what had become of them This anxiety was at length relieved Owing to the large correspondence of Mr Weldon in almost every quarter of the world, it was discovered that the whole of them had been sold in one lot, and that they were now in Madagascar Without listening for a moment to Dick’s proposal to apply all his savings to effect their liberation, Mr Weldon set his own agents to negotiate for their freedom, and on the 15th of November, 1877, Tom, Bat, Actæon, and Austin awaited their welcome at the merchant’s door It is needless to say how warm were the greetings they received Out of all the survivors of the “Pilgrim” that had been cast upon the fatal coast of Africa, old Nan alone was wanting to complete the number Considering what they had all undergone, and the perils to which they had been exposed, it seemed little short of a miracle that she and poor Dingo should be the only victims High was the festivity that night in the house of the Californian merchant, and the toast, proposed at Mrs Weldon’s request, that was received with the loudest acclamation was “DICK SANDS, THE BOY CAPTAIN!” THE END End of the Voyage Extraordinaire 297 ... negroes as they were, did they utterly resign the hope that at some future time they might have it in their power to repay the debt which they owed their deliverers 27 Dick Sands, the Boy Captain. .. coleoptera, e.g cockchafers and glow-worms; (7) the diptera, e.g gnats and flies; (8) the rhipiptera, e.g the stylops; (9) the parasites, e.g the acarus; and (10) the thysanura, e.g the lepisma... perched themselves together on the top-mast-yards The weather was very clear, and they could see the horizon right round except the section behind them, hidden by the brigantine-sail on the main-mast